LIMITED TIME OFFER: Earn Southwest Companion Pass thru 2/28/27!!

The Southwest Companion Pass is widely considered one of the most valuable perks in travel and Southwest’s latest offer makes it easier than ever to earn. With the current Southwest personal card offers, you can unlock a Companion Pass valid through February 2027 plus a generous stash of Rapid Rewards points after meeting the spending requirement. If you’ve never held a Southwest card before — or you’re planning trips in 2026 and beyond — this limited-time deal could cover flights for two for nearly the price of one.

Why You Want Southwest Airlines Companion Pass

One of the most valuable and coveted perks in air travel is the Southwest Airlines Companion Pass (Companion Pass). Why? It allows you to choose someone who will fly for free (well almost free as you do need to pay taxes and fees) with you – either when you are buying your flight in cash or with points! What it looks like in action is that you pay $400 for your ticket from Denver to New York and your companion would fly for $5.60!

Want me to put this into more perspective? There are other airlines that offer a companion pass but there’s is for ONE TIME use. When you earn Companion Pass with Southwest, it is UNLIMITED for a set time period – more on that below.

How You Earn Companion Pass Normally

There are two ways to earn a traditional Companion Pass that is good through the end of the year when you qualify AND the following year. For example: you earn Companion Pass in April 2026, it would be valid until end of December 2027!

• Fly 100 qualifying one-way flights in a calendar year or
• Earn 135,000 Rapid Reward points in a calendar year. Qualifying points include those earned via cash flights, as well as those earned on Southwest credit cards and with base points earned from Rapid Reward partners

LIMITED TIME OFFER: How You Can NOW EASILY Earn Companion Pass through 2/28/2027

For a limited time, the personal Southwest Rapid Reward credit cards are offering a sign up bonus for new cardholders that includes a Companion Pass (valid through 2/28/2027) and 30,000 bonus points! Offer is valid until March 18, 2026!

Who is Eligible For the Credit Card Bonus?

These products are available to you if you do not have a current Southwest Rapid Rewards Credit Card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus within the last 24 months. This does not apply to Business Card and Employee Credit Card products

Personal Rapid Rewards Credit Cards

This is available on every personal Rapid Reward Credit Card including the Plus with the lowest annual fee of $99/year – the sign up bonus including the Companion pass will be given after you after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

	Pick the right card for you
	Plus Credit Card rewards and benefits	Premier Credit Card rewards and benefits	Priority Credit Card rewards and benefits
	Earn Companion Pass® through 2/28/27 plus 20,000 points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn Companion Pass® through 2/28/27 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.	Earn Companion Pass® through 2/28/27 plus 40,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Preferred Seat selection at booking when available	NA (not applicable)	NA (not applicable)	✔
Seat selection within 48 hours prior to departure when available	Standard Seat	Standard or Preferred seat	Standard or Preferred seat
Upgrade to Extra Legroom seat within 48 hours prior to departure when available.	NA (not applicable)	NA (not applicable)	✔
First checked bag free for Cardmembers and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation.	✔	✔	✔
Points earned every year on your Cardmember anniversary	3,000	6,000	7,500
Flight Discount (excludes Basic fare)	10% promo code each year	15% promo code each year	NA (not applicable)
Points earned per $1 spent on Southwest Airlines® purchases	2X	3X	4X
Earn 2 points per $1 spent on select everyday purchases	2X at Gas stations and Grocery stores on the first $5,000 in combined purchases per year	2X at Grocery stores and Restaurants on the first $8,000 in combined purchases per year	2X at Gas stations 2X at Restaurants
Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases	✔	✔	✔
Earn tier qualifying points towards A-List status for every $5,000 spent annually	NA (not applicable)	1,500	2,500
10,000 boost of Companion Pass qualifying points each year	✔	✔	✔
Boarding Benefit	Group 5	Group 5	Group 5
No foreign transaction fees	✔†	✔††	✔†††
25% back on inflight purchases	✔	✔	✔
Annual fee	$99 †Opens Southwest Plus Pricing & Terms in new window	$149 ††Opens Southwest Premier Pricing & Terms in new window	$229 †††Opens Southwest Priority Pricing & Terms in new window

Unsure about what a sign up bonus is – read this. And how to meet a credit card spend requirement – read this!

Use as a Trial Run for a Traditional Companion Pass/Fast Track

Remember that ALL points earned via a Rapid Reward credit card counts towards the baseline 135,000 Rapid Rewards including the 30,000 earned via this promotion. There is a shortcut strategy to earn by combining a personal Rapid Reward credit card with a business Rapid Reward credit card that would still be in play IF you decide that you want to get companion through the end of 2027!

Why You Should Consider Doing This?

Imagine booking a flight and knowing someone can come with you for free not just once, but over and over again for the next year (depending on when you meet the spending requirement). That’s exactly why the Southwest Companion Pass is such a sought-after travel perk. Right now, the newest Southwest personal credit card bonus is offering a fast track to Companion Pass status valid through February 2027, along with bonus points that can jump start your next vacation. For travelers who fly Southwest even a few times a year, this offer can be a game-changer as checked bag fees are waived for the cardholder (and up to 8 additional passengers in the same reservation!) and the cards come with seat selection within 48 hours prior to departure when available!